Childlike Innocence
by bronzeraven
Summary: Part 1/3. Before they became Revan and Malak, they were just an ordinary pair of younglings. A glimpse of their childhood, and the beginnings of their relationship. Part I: First Encounters


Disclaimer: I own Tex and his adventures. Nothing more.

Childlike Innocence

Part I : First Encounters

_Dantooine, 22 years before the Battle for the Endar Spire_

Master Vrook told me we'd be getting a new youngling in our class. He said she was six years old, but had only just been brought to the Jedi. He asked me to help show her around and help to show her what she needed to learn. I said yes, because Master Vrook is older and wiser and smarter and knows stuff, like when me and Tex are still awake after lights out.

By the way, I'm Alek, and I'm eight years old. Tex is my best friend… He doesn't talk much, and neither do I, so it works out. Anyways.

It's Tuesday, and Master Vrook told me to meet him in the courtyard after his class to meet the new girl, so here I am. It's been five minutes since he went to get her, and I think Tex is getting lonely, waiting on my bed. That's where he waits when I'm in class, because Tex is a gizka plushie, and Master Zhar says gizka plushies can't learn to use the Force. Tex also waits on my bed because Master Vrook says I'm too old to play with him anymore. Master Vrook doesn't realize that I don't play with him. Me and Tex read and draw and study together. I don't tell Tex, but he's not that good at drawing.

I hear people coming, and look up. Master Vrook and Master Zhar are coming over to me. A little girl is following them. She has dark hair and big, grey eyes.

"Morana, this is Alek. Alek, this is Morana." Master Zhar says. I like Master Zhar. He's nice. Master Vrook isn't, but he's older and wiser and smarter and a Master, so he doesn't always have to be nice, I guess.

"Alek, show her around the enclave."

"Yes Master Vrook." I bob my head up and down. The two masters leave us, and she looks up at me.

"You're tall." She says.

"You're short."

"I'm only six." She argues.

"I'm only eight."

She frowns and looks around. We're in the middle of the enclave, where there's an open space circle and a fountain and a tree. Lots of Jedi like to meditate by the tree and the fountain.

"Soo… Aren't you supposed to show me around? Or are we going to sit and watch the pretty fountain? Cause the fountain _is_pretty, and I really wouldn't mind either way. So, what are we going to do?" Morana asks, all in one breath.

"Okay, well. Over there is the docking bay, where ships dock…" I point towards the hallway leading upwards, in the direction she had come from.

"I know that. How do you think I got here? I didn't just magically appear. I can't teleport, as cool as that would be."

I blink. She talks a _lot_for someone who is only six. The other six year olds don't talk that much. Or maybe they just don't talk to Tex and me. Or maybe–

"Well?" she asks. "Is that it? What about –"

I cut her off. "Slow down. Let me talk."

She shuts her mouth and waits. I blink. Is that really all it takes to get her to stop?

"Over here is the Council Chambers, and down the hall are the Master's Quarters. That's the hall that leads outside, and up that way is a set of rooms for guests. Um, that's it for this level, so I guess we'll take the lift down to the sublevel…"

She's listening to what I'm saying and is actually paying attention. Master Vrook is going to love her.

I lead the way to the lift, and call it up. When the door opens, we go in. She begins to bob back and forth on her heels, hopping from one foot to the other. I turn to look at her, and she grins up at me with a sparkle in her big grey eyes. At the bottom, the lift doors open and I show her the class rooms, the archives and the dorms.

"Can I see your room?" She asks.

I stare.

"It's just… You're the only person I know and I want to be able to find you if I get lost or if I need help or if I don't understand something. That man said that you said that you would help me find my way around and get settled in."

I had said that, hadn't I? She's looking up at me with her big grey eyes, her lower lip sticking out. She's putting on a kath-pup face, and a good one too. I get the feeling she won't be too hard to take care of. She seems very smart for someone who's only six. But Tex might get jealous…

"Okay, fine."

"Thank you Alek!" she grins, throwing her arms around me.

I blink, feeling odd. The top of her head barely comes up to the middle of my chest. I pat her back. She pulls away, then looks up at me.

"Right," I say, leading the way to my room. Tex won't be happy. He was probably trying to sleep. When we reach my door, I open it slowly.

"This is it."

She looks around, eyes landing on Tex. She grins, then races to my bed and tackles him, squealing.

"She's so cute! What a pretty gizka! Ooh! What's her name?"

I my eyes are widening in horror. Tex is not a girl and _he's_definitely not cute. I named him after my favourite character from my favourite holovid and comic book series, _The Adventures of Terrestrial Tex_. Terrestrial Tex is a super-cool super-hero from a made up planet called Terra. He always saves the day, even when it looks like the evil Malicious Marc is going to win. I want to be just like Terrestrial Tex someday. A hero of the galaxy, stopping villains like Malicious Marc. Not a cute, pretty girl.

"_His_ name is Tex."

She looks up at me, squeezing my poor friend to her chest.

"I'm Terrestrial Tex, telling you to –"

"–Take charge." I finish, surprised. "How do you know that?"

She giggles. "Terrestrial Tex is the best! I love how he tells us to take charge and not let bullies like Malicious Marc to get the better of us, and not to let others get pushed around. He makes it seem like we can all be heroes, just like him!"

I look at her for a second.

"You know what?" I ask.

She looks up at me with her big grey eyes.

"I think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship."

She grins up at me, and I get this feeling. I don't really understand it, but somehow I just know that we'll be friends forever.

..

A/N: Part one of three. I thought the mental image of an eight-year-old Malak was absolutely adorable, and after I started the ideas kept flowing... In case you didn't pick up on it, I love irony. Part two won't be up until early to mid February, as I have exams starting this week.

For those interested, I am working on a Pre-KOTOR I fic titled 'A Quiet Thing', centered on Malak. My plan is to finish this three-shot prequel first, then start actually writing the first few chapters of AQT. Reviews are a huge motivator, and would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


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